I was a spy in Zion
by Free Skylark
Summary: Alternate Universe. This is a story of a hero, who dared to enter the world they called Zion. Curious? You're invited to read...
1. The enigma of Alpha

**A/N:** In this story, the Eve Wars did happen, but our heroes were not in it, and it ended with different consequences explained below. This is loosely based on a true story from my country's history. Curious? Then you're invited to read...

**I was a spy in Zion.**

**Prologue: The enigma of Alpha.**

Stories are mysterious creations of mankind. Since the beginning of time and over the ages, man spun stories for different motives. Yet in spite of all the tales that man made, there is the one that none can rival: the story of man himself. Perhaps you have never heard of that one before; you may ask about its author or year of publishing... All that I can say is that it is an ageless story. Heard by those who are shrewd enough to hear what days say in young and old hours alike.

Such accounts of life are so beautiful, yet immensely complex. Perhaps I am going off-topic now, but there is a reason behind what I say. You see, I am about to begin a story once told by the days of life. Trouble is, saying that such a thing has a beginning is an understatement of its complexity. Imagine yourself standing before an intricate web of delicate threads. To be able to spread it can be accomplished only by pulling the right end, amidst thousands of ends. And so, even before I delve into the waves of the story, the shores prove a nearly insurmountable obstacle. So mainly the question is: where do I begin?

Beating about the web is the way I will begin this story, hoping that somehow I will find the wanted end. And so: here goes ...

Wars raged hard and fierce during the after-colony era. From the colonies, to the Alliance, to Romefeller, to OZ and those who left it, gun and mobile suit were the accepted pidgin. But none were fiercer that those that ended that series, known by the people as the Eve Wars. Although it ended with the downfall of the Earth Alliance and White Fang, things were not as they seemed. A few years later, something emerged from the ashes of those wars. The United Earth Nations (UEN) was formed. Unfortunately, they learned from those that went before them, thus becoming stronger as the days went by under the shadow of oblivion. The unity between the colonies and some of Earth nations was a constant thorn in their backs. Their increasing wariness of it, added to the unawareness of the people, led to the creation of what was made to destroy that unity.

Zion, the acropolis of peace.

It was an irony, really. Away from prying eyes, the UEN built a huge colony, christened Zion, referring to the promised homeland. But Zion was not a sweet home as people would imagine. It was stationed exactly between the colonies, cutting off their main transportation routes and straining the relationships between them. It was also an excuse for the UEN to interfere in the affairs of the colonies, under the name of protecting a part of it, Zion. The colonies suffered from the intruder among its midst, for the people living in it, known as the Zions, were not prone to keep quiet. They knew their job, and they did it well: stirring up trouble wherever they went and keeping an eye on the colonists. It spread like fire in the brush; in a few years, every colony had communities of Zions, protected by the ever-officious UEN.

The spark of war was still there, but the colonies were now weakened, plagued by Zion agents and spies. The calls of Sanc went deaf against the thundering of warships, and it seemed that UEN had ruled the battlefield.

But, predicaments do strange things to men; it inspired the same spirit that once rose against the Alliance, and now the colonies from L1 to L5 were playing the same game of secrecy. The Colonist Association (CA) was formed to try and retrieve what was lost. Its sole aim was to stand up against the many attacks of the United Nations of Earth's Security (UNES). An organization that was responsible for hundreds of spying webs both in the colonies and Sanc. While the people lived in despair, the CA battled to thrive. It seemed impossible: the UNES was advanced in techniques and technology, backed up by many years of experience. In contrast, the new-born CA had nothing to begin with; in fact, it had to begin from below zero, with the scarce resources it had. In addition to forming a whole new organization of its own, the CA was supposed to advance from less than nothing to rival the biggest system in the universe.

In a nutshell, it needed one hell of a miracle.

But miracles do happen, and the years that followed told stories of heroism never heard before, unmatchable tales of life. The CA fought back, and it won... but that is only the epilogue of hundreds of mesmerizing chapters.

Beating about the web seems to have done something; I guess it's time to start, and I have an idea of where to do so. Perhaps you are wondering who I am, and what story is this, but all will come in due time. It is true that I have changed some names and places, but the events were for real. I was there, and I remember... the tale where miracles rained the sky like shooting stars.

This is the story of a hero... in the place they called Zion.

Case Officer X03: Trowa Barton.

**--end of prologue--**

**Disclaimer:** Gundam Wing and its characters does not belong to me.

**Notes:**

Prologue done. Have I got your interest perked? I wonder... Maybe some of you got confused, but Trowa's telling the story. Why him, you'll know later. Next chapters will not be in his POV, rather 3rd person's POV. Please spare some time to write a review; if you have any questions, I'm ready to hear them. Thanks for reading. See you later!

Free Skylark. 23 June 2004.


	2. A soldier will not do!

**A/N: **This is Alternate Universe. That means major changes in GW world.

**Chapter One – A soldier will not do!  
  
**

In the outskirts of a deserted part of the colony, there was a building of the remnants of L4's former glory. The peeling of paint from its outer structure, as well as the broken down condition of the surrounding fence, gave the impression of being uninhabited for a long time. You'd be surprised to see the old caretaker of the building, the only living thing in that eerie place.  
  
And it was deserted. The building was originally a hospital, founded by an ambitious young man who had graduated from the School of Medicine at Sanc Kingdom. He, being the son of an aristocratic family, was able to buy the building, as well as the vast spaces of land around it. The building was soon done to be a masterpiece, and the work began. In the first few months, things went well... but what happened was that the young doctor went to Earth to get some advanced equipment for the hospital. However, his absence went on and on; the staff was dismissed, and the building was deserted. Many things were said at that time about the matter, but then the UEN announced its presence, and soon the people forgot about it in the inferno of events that raged through the colonies from L1 to L5... The building just became another ruin of L4's former glory.  
  
No one knows when exactly, but about two and a half years after its desertion, life sprang once more in that building. It is said that someone bought the building from the doctor's father, but no one really cared about the matter in that stressful period of time. A sign was put up on the building that said "Ministry of Research and Construction". It was an unfamiliar name; nobody really knew what research or construction that ministry did. Anyway, the only apparent changes were the hiring of another caretaker who worked with the other one, and the prompt daily arrival of the ministry's staff.  
  
The strange thing was that that ministry did not have any dealings with the public, and its staff was a limited number of young, but extremely punctual, men. Sharp at eight, they would all be there to leave at two at noon.  
  
However, no one was interested in the affairs of the ministry to find out that it had quite a number of reinforced safes, complete with combination locks. Or that the young staff was prone to stay till late in the night over their work, in determined energy never found in other ministries... But the most important thing was that one of those men had to spend the night in the rooms of the ex-hospital!  
  
Naturally, none was aware of all of this in a time boiling with struggles that would decide the future of the endangered colonies.  
  
None was aware, and that was exactly the motive behind choosing that location... For that building was one of different locations chosen to plant the seeds of the new born CA. And those punctual young men, were nothing but the planters of that seed, that would grow into an organization playing a profound effect in the future of the entire colonies...  
  
**oo00oo**  
  
A couple of months after the change of ownership of the said building, two of its staff were sitting in one of its offices, engaged in a conversation that began that morning until it was almost eight in the evening. Rashid Kurama and Auda were tired; as deeper they went, they discovered more of the impending catastrophe that the colonies were about to fall in. As crippled as the colonies were in the field of gathering information, Zion had a wellspring of data from its communities spread al over the colonies. The UNES was way advanced in that field, in sharp contrast to the CA. Yet they had to race against time to reach that stage. The colonies had to have eyes inside Zion for it stand against the terrific thorn in their midst.  
  
In short, Rashid and Auda were trying to find a way to plant a spy in the very heart of Zion.  
  
That discussion had began months ago... Those men spared nothing; they read everything about previous experiences, from pre-colony era to the Eve Wars. Knowledge was vital, and they were to spare nothing to get it. It was the only hope for the colonies.  
  
Rashid and Auda thought of recruiting a Zion... but the events of World War Two showed that the fifth column planted by Germany had been discovered in one way or another, and all its webs had collapsed.  
  
Zion had colonists living in it... but the two men soon rejected that idea. The colonists living in Zion were under strict security, and they were forbidden to go to many places where information can be found.  
  
As deeper as the conversation went, Rashid and Auda found nearly all paths blocked. For if they, for example, tried a person of neutral origin – other than Zion and the colonies – that person would be only a visitor, not a resident, and his loyalty would not be for the colonies, rather to the person who pays more.  
  
It was here that they thought of a soldier.  
  
The idea came in a moment of desperation, and feeling of hopelessness, when Rashid suddenly said,  
  
"Then it is who should go!"  
  
Auda looked at him in surprise; he knew that Rashid was one of those soldiers who baffled the UEN troops for years. Endless stories of his skill and courage in face of danger and death... At first, Auda liked the idea, for Rashid's loyalty was definitely unquestionable... But they began to study the matter from all perspectives... the planting of a soldier in Zion.  
  
Undoubtedly there was a chance!  
  
For the Zion community in L4 was large and spread in all parts of the society... From millionaires to taxi drivers to students and shopkeepers, Rashid and Auda had killed that subject with investigations over a year ago, and now they knew it almost inside out. The first step was to find a way to plant the soldier in the Zion community of L4, as an introduction to his planting in Zion itself.  
  
"Vayete's Tavern," said Rashid, mentioning the name of the famous coffee shop that the Zion community took as their meeting place in L4. From that place, the planting was to begin...  
  
The discussion was soon renewed with flowing vigor; it was easy to spin a background for the new 'Zion' till he gained the community's trust, then he would have a job... But though Auda was participating in the discourse, he seemed to be thinking in something else. Rashid was tired; irritated by his comrade's daydreaming he yelled,  
  
"What are you thinking of?"  
  
Immediately Auda replied, "remember that day when that UEN soldier insulted you?"  
  
"Is this time to go down memory lane?"  
  
"Do you remember that day, Rashid?" pressed Auda.  
  
"Yes I do. So what?"  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Rashid was not one to talk about himself. His life as a soldier taught him that oneself was the last thing to think of when he had given his life for the cause of the colonies. Because of that, he was annoyed by Auda's question, for it made him – unwillingly – remember that day...  
  
He was assigned a very important mission in one of the UEN bases on L4. He made a plan, and everything went well. The only thing left was to receive some explosives in a bar for the UEN soldiers. The mission went as planned, and Rashid went to take the explosives from the bar, when it happened that a drunken soldier bumped into him. Though Rashid tried to ignore him, the soldier continued to annoy the hell out of Rashid, until he called him a "dirty colonist". At that point Rashid snapped, and the next minutes found the soldier beaten to unconsciousness. Rashid fled the bar before anyone could arrive; he didn't receive the explosives, and the mission was deferred.  
  
"What do you want to say?" snapped Rashid. The heavily built soldier knew that Auda had a purpose from his question, for he had taken his jacket to leave.  
  
"A soldier will not do," said Auda. Rashid opened his mouth to retaliate, but Auda beat him to it,  
  
"Not just you, Rashid, any soldier will not do!"  
  
The discussion ended at that, for a soldier who couldn't take the insult of a drunken man, cannot live in an entire community of vicious enemies, where he could hear things about the colonies that would make him lose his control and... his life! Heavy silence reigned over the room. Rashid looked at his friend,  
  
"Why did you wear your jacket?" he asked.  
  
"I want to go out!" Rashid tried to protest, but Auda yelled as he went for the door,  
  
"I don't want to work! I'm fed up, my brain is tired... I want a break, even if it is for only two hours!"  
  
**oo00oo**  
  
Being the only son of a landowner, Rashid was able to have a car of his own. The general condition of the colonies was not great, so his car was anything but new and stylish; however, it served its purpose.  
  
"Rashid!" The giant leaned out of the window to look at his partner.  
  
"Before I ride, no talking about work!" said Auda. Rashid nodded; it was useless to burden their minds even more during this short break.  
  
"Come on, let's go see the outside world," said Auda as the car went through the streets of L4 main colony, without a destination or aim.  
  
Thirty minutes later found them in a bustling street, known for its cinemas and fashionable shops. On passing one of the cinemas, Auda stared for a moment at the poster of the feature program, showing scenes of war and fighting soldiers.  
  
"Rashid, park here!" said Auda. His friend complied, parking the car near the cinema. "Let's go to that movie."  
  
Rashid scowled; he wanted to go to a restaurant to shut his stomach's grumbling up. But Auda continued, trying to persuade him,  
  
"We will not forget the work, and as I am thinking of it right here, you are doing the same while driving the car... I want to forget; we have to forget! This cinema is showing a movie about war; let's go see it!"  
  
His words were perfectly logical; for as they were previous soldiers in the army, and had taken part in the EW, a movie about war would definitely capture their attention.  
  
They paid a few pounds for tickets in the back seats and entered the theatre. And...  
  
it was a disaster!  
  
What makes stories of life so unique... is the chain of coincidences that we call fate. For Auda'a trivial whim of watching the movie is the direct reason behind all the events to take place...  
  
The movie related a true story from the pre-colony history. Auda and Rashid had read about it during their research on previous experiences. The movie brought the story to life, captivating the complete attention of the audience till the end. It was a famous account from the files of the British investigations...  
  
During their invasion of France, the Nazis made one of its countryside fortresses a center for their investigations in entire Europe. It even had the names of all the spies making up the fifth column in all European countries in a secret safe somewhere in the palace. It was required to get a copy of those files without the Germans' knowledge. That is, they had to secretly infiltrate the palace, which was put under terrific security for twenty four hours each day, not only by wary shifts of guards, but also by ferocious dogs that shredded anyone dared pass the electric fence. Then after passing these, they had to creep into the actual fort itself without attracting anyone's attention, and go to the room that had the safe. After opening the safe and making a copy of the files, they had to close it without leaving any signs, then go back to Britain with their treasure.  
  
The mission was assigned to one of the British officers; immediately he began to study the blueprints of the palace and the security around it... the spotlights, the dogs, the guards and hundreds of details that made it seem impossible.  
  
But it did happen, and all preparations and practices were made – but there was one obstacle...  
  
the safe.  
  
The information about it said that the safe was a very advanced one, with tens of combinations for it to open... and here the officer found himself facing a dead end. For he could go into the palace without anyone's knowing, but to open the safe, he had to destroy it, destroying the entire the mission. Destroying it would attract the guards, and even if the team managed to escape, the files would be of no use, as the Germans would have alerted their agents. And thus the officer had no other alternative except contact Scotland Yard.  
  
On the officer's request for an expert in opening safes, the other asked to know about the mission to be able to select the right person. After some hesitation the officer told him, and here the other brightened.  
  
"My friend, what you need is not an expert from Scotland Yard... what you need is a thief!"  
  
And that was true, for an expert from Scotland Yard may be able to open the safe, but his sense of security would be fake, because he had never stolen before. On the other hand, a thief would be perfectly suited to the surroundings, and his sense of security would be more accurate.  
  
"And do you have this thief?"  
  
"Yes, in prison."  
  
"Can you persuade him to do this?"  
  
"That's your job, not mine."  
  
The officer was able to persuade the said thief to do the mission; in return, he would be forgiven for his past and be able to live as any citizen.  
  
And so he began the practices on the infiltration till he was ready and became a part of the team that went into the fortress and succeeded, causing the collapse of the fifth column in Europe. And that was all because of a thief's sense of security!  
  
...  
  
It was almost three in the morning, yet that car was still standing in front of the cinema. Two people were having a quiet conversation since they came out. The officer guarding that street was at a loss on what to do... They could have been plotting criminals for all he knew. Finally, he decided to interfere,  
  
"Good evening, gentlemen."  
  
Rashid looked at him, eyebrows quirked, "Good evening, officer."  
  
"Excuse my interference, but is there something wrong?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"It's three in the morning, and you've been here for a long time."  
  
Rashid stared at his watch in disbelief, "Really?!"  
  
It was past three in the morning, when a funny little car sped through the empty streets of L4. But Rashid and Auda had agreed on one thing...  
  
They had to find a fiend!

**--end of chapter one—  
**

**Disclaimer**: Gundam Wing and its characters do not belong to me.  
  
**Notes:**  
  
Well, chapter one was long, and the others will probably be the same. Please forgive any OOC-ness, but this is Alternate Universe. Please spare some time to write a review.  
  
To all those who read/reviewed/are planning to do so thank you for sparing time. See you later!  
  
Free Skylark. 25 June 2004. 


	3. In pursuit of a fiend

**Notes: **A new character makes his appearance... see if you can find out who he is!

**A/N:** This also an alternate timeline. The current setting of the story is during AC 205. Incidentally, I've altered the characters' birth dates to fit with the timeline. I hope it's alright with you.

_To Melody and Harmony, who encouraged me to keep this up. Hope you enjoy this!_

**Chapter Two – In pursuit of a fiend.**

The next morning, Rashid was officially in charge of operation "Find a Fiend", as Auda affably dubbed it.

On first glance, it seemed easy, for L4 was literally plagued with fiends since things started going downhill for the colonies. However, it wasn't that simple, as Rashid's goal was a specific 'type' – for lack of a better term – of fiend whose exact outline was a hazy image in the giant's mind. Besides, he had to be discreet when asking help from his colleagues and could not tell them the purpose behind that fiend, which complicated things even more. To depend on his own instinct in a ferocious a world as they lived in was definitely not a good omen for the success of the mission. But Rashid was not a giant only on the outside; he stood his ground and fought his own battle, despite his severely lacked experience in knowing the precise characteristics of the prospective agent.

Experience remained the biggest obstacle in their way. The CA was still young in the field, yet it stood against the biggest, meanest and most experienced enemy of them all. Not that the UNES was a prodigy; their advancement was a mere resultant of the historical background of that organization.

After the Eve Wars, it transpired that the UEN was not an aftermath of the defeat; rather, it was the result of years of scheming. It is not unlikely that the idea of Zion had been harboured since the formation of the Alliance's "trusty" sidekick, Romefeller. Groups of prospective Zion citizens – not known as Zions at that time – were spread all over Earth Sphere and the colonies. Penetrating into the heart of those societies, they were able to possess a wellspring of information about them. So when the UEN was formed in AC199, its investigation bureau, the UNES, had only to join those groups to form one complete organization. It was still newly formed, yet had the experience and knowledge of many years past.

As a result, it was relatively easy to plant spies in the colonies, since they knew those societies inside out, not to mention their experience. But how were the colonists supposed to know anything about a society that had not yet been completely formed, nor had its own traditions and customs?

It was no laughing matter, and the chances of making it were nearly zero, but it never was impossible.

**oo00oo**

A question faced Rashid since the beginning: what kind of a fiend was he after?

It was inevitable that that person should be from the colonies, L4 specifically, as Rashid preferred to work with someone from his home colony. Loyalty was the main foundation here. And having the patience of his Bedouin ancestors, Rashid was quite ready to leave no stone unturned on the cluster.

Thus his hunt began via a group of men spread all over L4. It would have been easier if Rashid asked them to look for a 'thief' or a 'fraud', or even a 'mercenary'. But the word 'fiend' was something they were not crystal clear about, and even Rashid himself could not signify the meaning in a clear and final way.

And if the first condition for this fiend is his being from L4, the second was his being an L4 citizen who could pass for a Zion. L4 Zions had a certain way around them, acquired from the society they lived in. Aside from having characteristics easily recognized by the practiced eye, they all – no matter what their status was – were fluent in at least one language other than Arabic. French was the common language among L4 Zions. So where was Rashid going to find an L4 fiend who looked like a Zion, knew French as fluently as Arabic AND could easily speak yet another language?

These were the necessary limitations of his search, but Rashid couldn't reveal them to his assistants in the police force. His answer to any of their questions was basically "find a bloody fiend!".

Not only that, Rashid went down to the streets. Between the ups and downs of L4 society, Rashid mingled with all sectors of the community in pursuit of his object. Its precise definition was something that grew clearer as days went by, narrowing the scope of his search even more. In a nutshell, Rashid was looking for a person who basically was created by his imagination amongst the thousands of people that inhabited the main colony alone!

Weeks passed by...

And months passed by, giving the giant no hope in his quest. Several times he came upon someone who seemed eligible, but then would discover a drawback that forced him to discard the said person.

Until it was that night in August AC 205...

...

Three months had passed since Rashid and Auda watched that movie, and still the giant hadn't made any progress. He had come back from work and begun to rest when he received a phone call. It was one of his friends from prison X-591.

"Rashid, I have this strange boy I want you to see."

"What's his name?"

"I don't know." The answer came unexpected, capturing his attention immediately.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I really don't. We have several names; no one knows what his true name is!"

"Fine, what's his origin?"

"I don't know."

"Listen here, Osama –" began Rashid angrily.

"I swear no one knows what his ethnic origin is!" The officer was now beginning to panic for fear of provoking the dangerous combination of temper and bulk he was talking to.

"Can't you use your eyes?"

The image of the officer on the vid-phone shrugged. "He can be almost anything."

Rashid held on to his patience and asked, "What is he accused of?"

"I don't know."

Here the giant could take no more (what _did _the guy know, anyway?) and yelled, "Then why did you arrest him?!"

Unsurprisingly, the answer was, "I don't know."

"Is that possible?!"

"Look, we have several accusations: robbery, forgery, double-dealing... but these are related to different names. We do NOT know which one he is!"

Rashid realized that he was before a special case, and it just might be what he was looking for.

"I'm on my way," he said firmly.

**oo00oo**

It was ten o'clock in the evening when Rashid arrived at the prison in question, and over the cups of tea offered to those present, the giant heard the story.

He was a seventeen-year-old boy whom the authorities arrested as an escaped Zion from L4, the name being Sammy Kohin. However, he had a perfectly genuine passport claiming he was an L2 citizen, Johnny Brad. On reaching L4, the examination of his fingerprints assured that he was an L4 citizen, under the name of Shaheen Fawaz. And from another place, reports stated that he had a case of fraud in one of L4 hotels, where he had a left a passport bearing the name of Carrè Gagnant, an L3 citizen. When they faced him with it, he merely answered in fluent French (which was as smooth as his English) "that's my name!"

Then came a revelation from one of L4 sub-colonies when the police force said that he was wanted there under the name of Hassan Arbad in a case of forgery. On seeking help from Earth authorities, it transpired that he was wanted all over several continents for different crimes, and that he had another couple of names to add to their already teeming pile.

What confused the inspectors even more was that identification technology was in bad shape since after the EW, and the passports were the only thing they could count on. Basically, that meant that the kid was a citizen of three bloody colony clusters, not to mention a couple of Earth cities and Zion. All attempts to discover who he really was came back with more questions than answers, which finally made them resort to Rashid. Perhaps the boy was the one he had been looking for the past months, and maybe he would be able to know who he was...

Having listened to every word that was said, Rashid said he wanted to see the boy in a normal hearing session, as was the usual, where he would appear as one of the low-ranked officers, thus being able to watch him unnoticed.

Thus a session was prepared in one of the larger rooms, sparsely furnished except for some chairs, a table and a record-laden cupboard. Rashid chose to sit beside the assistants, and as everyone was in civil outfits, their ranks couldn't be figured out, which was exactly what he wanted.

And so the person in question came in.

...

Though the files said that he was seventeen, Rashid doubted that the blonde youth before him was even sixteen, let alone the person who had dozens of police forces baffled. Of course, he couldn't be blamed as he gazed at twin azure orbs from under golden bangs. The worn clothes did not mask the pale complexion, nor the slight build. A small smile played on his lips, whether sarcastic or silly, it wasn't decipherable.

The boy slowly walked towards the table, his eyes passing over the people present in a manner of one who knew well what was going to happen. It was only when he passed by the nearly-inconspicuous (if that was humanly possible) figure of Rashid that the eyes stopped for a moment, twinkling along with the mysterious smile that quirked up on the boy's face.

He stood directly before the D.A, waiting.

"So, what's your name, boy?"

The only answer he got was a long-suffering sigh that clearly said, "Here we go again..."

"Answer the question!" yelled an officer nearby.

"And how many times will I have to do that, Colonel?"

That was the first time the boy had seen the officer, and he was wearing civil clothes. "How do you know I'm a colonel?"

Another unfathomable smile, and the D.A had to repeat his question.

"Sammy Kohin," the blonde replied in a bored voice.

The D.A flicked through the file before him:

"So you're not Hassan Arbad?"

"No, I'm not Sinbad either." (1)

The man brandished the L2 passport. "Then whose is this?"

"It's mine, sir," came the reply in a clear L2 accent.

"You're Johnny Brad?"

"Isn't that the name before you?"

Flipping through the pages again, the D.A pursed his lips,

"Then who is Carré Gagnant?"

"That's in L3." Again, a perfect French accent.

"And Shaheen Fawaz?"

"I told you that that was my name but you didn't believe me."

"You mean you're from L4?" As silence answered him, a tic was beginning to develop under his eye. "From L4 and your name is Kohin?!" (2)

"I'll change it if you want."

"Stop messing around, you..."

Minutes passed by, one after the other, till an hour and a half had taken their toll.

"This passport says you're from L2, and these identification papers are from L3, and these say you're an L4 citizen. What is your real origin?"

"Allah's land is vast!"

Patience reaching its limit, the D.A yelled, "What are you? A watermelon vendor?!" (3)

The D.A's shout sent everybody laughing, tension seeping off as they found a way to vent off their confusion. As they basked in refreshing mirth for a few seconds, the boy's half-closed eyes flew open, glowing with a strange, yet beautiful, light of their own as he looked at Rashid – and only Rashid.

"In fact, I think this is the first hearing I've had without a considerable load of watermelon, sir."

The colonel opened his mouth to scold him, but the boy beat him to it, "And so, there is no need for these cuffs." He said it as-a-matter-of-factly as the cuffs dangled from his fingers. Stepping lightly to the table, he gently placed them – still locked – for them to see, a challenging smile on his face. And here, only here, did Rashid sit up straighter.

Finding the cuffs to be locked, the colonel could contain his incredulity no longer as he muttered about devils and demented demons.

"Want to count what's in a magician's cape?" commented the blonde.

"What else can you do?" asked the officer dryly.

"Do you have a bank note?"

"Don't you dare think of that, you thief!"

"And where will I run from you?"

The boy was completely right, and so the man handed him one of L4's large banknotes. Taking it coolly he, he gestured at the cupboard.

"I'll go behind that cupboard for ten seconds, then try and get the note out of me after that!"

It was a quite an unusual challenge between the officers and their prisoner; the officer nodded his acquiescence and the boy disappeared behind the cupboard for no longer than ten seconds, then he came back to them, arms spread apart.

"The note is with me, go ahead!"

With a sarcastic smile, the investigation officer began searching his person carefully. Minutes passed by, there was no sign of the note. The warden came up to help, and together they searched him again with the accuracy of professionals. They looked into his mouth, ears and nose without avail; even checking his undergarments was in vain...

"You must have eaten it!" said the officer confidently. The other shook his head,

"No, I have not eaten your note."

"Then where is the blasted thing?!"

Opening his mouth, the boy took out two artificial molars, from under which he produced the paper, folded in amazing preciseness.

And the show continued for a time not brief, the status of 'prisoner' completely forgotten as he entertained them till late after midnight...

Needless to say, they were not one step further in finding who he was. Was he Arabian, French, or American? Was he from Earth, or the colonies? And most importantly, was he Shaheen, Carrè, or Johnny?

**oo00oo**

Two weeks passed after that night...

After the hearing, Rashid had told the officer that he didn't really know whether the boy was what he wanted or not, and said that he needed to think about it. He left the prison with his mind busier than before, deep in though about the rather unusual personality he had just met.

The boy seemed to be truly from L4, but he also had the air of an L4 Zion. Besides, he seemed to be familiar with English and French, and obviously, Arabic was his first language. Moreover, it was the... feeling... around him. Though he wouldn't admit it, Rashid felt undeniably comfortable around the boy, even if he had met him for only a few hours. The magnetic personality, along with his looks, spoke of things in neon letters. Things that were perfectly compatible with the operation FAF.

Yet, before deciding whether he was suitable or not, Rashid had to answer the great question of who '_he_' was in the first place...

...

When Rashid did not ask about the boy after the passage of a fortnight, the Warden assumed he was no longer interested in his case.

But it is certain that none of those who were gathered in the prison in that night of August AC 205 ever heard about the boy again, and that they forgot him amidst the sea of faces they saw every day. The order that came not long after that to change the boy's location was strange, but stranger still, the files that accompanied him were downright vague, and none of the officers that received him knew who the prisoner was, nor what he was accused of. Then another order was issued, and the D.A. was quite happy to get rid of a prisoner with no crime.

The scenario was repeated a couple of times in the course of the following months, till he finally reached a police station in L4's main city. But instead of being put in a cell, he was told to wait for the D.A. to arrive – with handcuffs still on.

The man arrived the following morning, after a night spent sleeping in a rickety wooden chair. The boy contemplated removing the damn cuffs in the course of the night, but he decided it wasn't worth the fuss it would create.

Azure orbs eyed the D.A. thoughtfully, albeit surreptitiously. He seemed to be newly installed, the type that preferred to work with bigger cases, not insignificant unknowns...

"You're Hassan Arbad?" the man suddenly asked.

He was about reply when the officer grumbled incoherently and yelled,

"Released with a bail of hundred pounds."

Wondering at what was happening, the blonde shook his head. "I don't have that money."

The man glared at him, practically radiating annoyance when a voice from behind interrupted.

"I have the money ready here, sir."

Whirling round, the boy turned to stare at the towering form of Rashid Kurama.

"Who the hell are you?" asked the officer rudely.

"I'm his cousin, officer," replied Rashid. "It isn't the first time," he added with a complementary glare at the youth beside him. The youth who was completely at sea, of course.

...

Ten minutes later found and the boy and his huge companion walking to a funny little car parked in a corner. The car proved its ability in accomplishing the seemingly impossible task of accommodating the giant, and they were off. Once reaching a relatively quiet area, Rashid turned to face the blonde.

"Now, I want you to tell me one thing."

"And what is that, sir?"

"Who are you?" he enunciated as he glared into unflinching blue eyes.

"I suppose I should ask _you _that question."

**--end of chapter two—**

**Disclaimer: **Gundam Wing and its charactersdo not belong to me, and I am making no profit whatsoever of this piece of fiction.

**Notes:**

(1) Like Sinbad, Shattir Hassan was also an Arabian story hero.

(2) Actually, L4 colony cluster is inhabited by Arabs. The official gundam website mentions the Middle East's contribution to the building of the colonies, so L4 is basically a part of the Arabian world. And as Kohin is not an Arabian name, it seemed strange.

(3) Heh, for those who haven't read "Once and again", watermelon, in Egyptian dialect, can also mean crap or nonsense. (, weissangel24!)

Right... most of you are probably wondering why I do not refer to the boy as Quatre. That is simply because Quatre Raberba Winner has not been introduced yet. You'll understand as the story progresses. Besides, I am currently portraying Quatre as in his Episode Zero. That is, he thinks himself worthless and dispensable, and isn't in "leading Quat mode" yet. Don't worry though; I'll have our blonde up and about soon.

Thanks for staying this far. Hope to see you later. Please spare sometime to leave a note.

Free Skylark. 31 October 2004.


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